Valve for automatic sprinkler systems, &amp;c.



G. l. ROCKWOOD & H. G. CARLSON VALVE FOR AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, m.

Patented May 30, 1916.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.3I.1913.

\ y////////// v i Ill/1104K; l I110 oration.

enonen I. ROCKWOOD AND n'JALi/mn e. CARLSON, or WORCESTER,MASSACHUSETTS;

SAID Canteen ASSIGNOR To ROCKWOOD SPRINKLER COMPANY or MASSACHU- SETTS,or WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION or MASSACHUSETTS.

VALVE 'ron AUTOMATIC SPRINKLER SYSTEMS, m.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, GEORGE I. ROCK- woon andHJALMAR G. CARLsoN, citizens of the United States, both residing atWorcester', in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented anew and useful Valve for Automatic Sprinkler Systems, &c., ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to subject matter similar to that set forth inthe application for patent on controlling apparatus for alarms for fireextinguisher systems and the like filed on even date herewith,by GeorgeI. Rockwood, Serial No. .w809,744, and especially to a constructionofvalve and operating mechanism therefor for use in automatic sprinklersystems .andsimilar places where an alarm has to be given or a signalshown when the pressure in a system of sprinkler water pipes is reduced,as for example, by the operation of a sprinkler head connectedtherewith, but where it is to be withheld if water is admitted to thealarm system as a result of a water hammer,

The principal objects of this invention are to simplify-the constructionof such devices and yet to cause the valve parts to be operated directlyby the pressure from the alarm device to discharge the water which hasaccumulated as a result of water hammer, or otherwise, as soon as thewater main of the sprinkler system is no longer connected with thevalve, also to provide a practicable way of controlling the waste portvalve by-means of diaphragms, and to provide other improvements as'willappear.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings in which V F'gure '1is a side elevationof a valve constructed in accordance with thisinvention,

showing its connections with a sprinkler system and alarm device; Fig. 2is a vertical central sectionalview of the valve on enlarged scale; Fig.3 is a sectional view of a portion thereof on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2,and Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2 ShOW ing a modification.

The drawings show a well known type of sprinkler system involving a main10 and a ipe 11 for feeding the sprinkler heads 12, the latter beingconstantly connected with this pipe, This feed is controlled by a checkvalve 13 which works in a well known Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May so, rare.

Application filed December 31, 1913. Serial No. 809,639.

' alarm device through a pipe 15 or the like whenever the valve 13opens. In'the form shown this pipe extends to a valve casing 16 whichhas a waste outlet 17, but the caslng normally discharges intoa verticalalarm pipe 19. This pipe 19 is provided with a receiving chamber 20 atthe top which, when the water rises to the top thereof, discharges thewater through a nozzle 21 against a wheel 22. In thiscase,

this operates the alarm when water is fed,

continuously out of the sprinklersystem through the port14. It will beunderstood, of course, that any other form of alarm, either electric orotherwise, can be substivention can be applied to any other type ofsprinkler system, these two features being shown for the purpose ofillustrating the operation of this invention.

In the form shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the

'valve casing 16 is shown as made up of two partsv having chambers 23and 24 between which are a pair of flexible diaphragms 25 and 26separated by a partition 27 which may be either solid or skeleton. Thispartition and the edges of the diaphragm are held between the two partsof the casing which are secured at their flanges in any well known way.The two diaphragms are connected to a valve 28, held in position by anut 29 and collar 30 secured on the valve. v

In this way' the valve moves with the diaphragms. -.The valve isprovided with a central perforation 28 and with a conical en'd 31constituting a. waste port valve In the center ofone .of the mom-- thechamber 23 under the diaphragms receives the water-directly from thesprinkler 75 tuted for the one shown, and that the in= system throughthe inlet pipe 15; that the second chamber 24 above the diaphragms is indirect and free communication with the discharge outlet 17, and thatthere is a small chamber 36 at the top which is normally kept out ofcommunication with the cham-= ber 24 by the waste port valve28 which isheld. up by a slight permanent set, which is given the flexiblediaphragms, except when.

there is an excess of pressure in the chamber 36. A removableplug 37 isshown for.

the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2. Whenever water underpressure enters the chamber 23 through the pipe 15, some of it, ofcourse, will drain out through the passage into the outlet, but as thispassage is relatively small the pressure of the water on the diaphragm25 will hold it stationary, in the position shown in Fig. 2 so as tokeep closed the connection between the pipe 19 and the chamber 24. Thevalve 34 in this case is held by the current of water up from the end ofthe waste port valve28. Most of the water then will flow past this valve34 and,

out into the pipe 19. If these conditions remain'the same for aconsiderable period the water will rise in the pipe 19 and in thechamber 20 until it operates the alarm: It willcontinue to operate thealarm until the conditions change.

By the use of two diaphragms the valve 28 is properly supported andaccurately held in position. The partition 27 limits the motion of thediaphragms alternately and by the drainage is prevented from hinderingtheir free motion.

Whenever the valve 13 closes, no matter what the cause, thefirst effectis to cause the ball valve 34 to drop, because almost immediately'thepressure in the chamber 36 will exceed that-inthe chamber 23 on accountof the drainage of a part of the water from the latter through thepassage35. When this occurs the entire pressure in-the pipe 19 isdirected against the valve 28, or rather so much of it as is locatedinside the bushing 32-. The head of water in the pipe 19 thus tends toforce the diaphragms down and exerts pressure on the water in thechamber 23, thus forcing leakage through the, port 7 35. Thus this valveand the diaphragms are-5f allowed to drop. This allows free passage,

of the water from the pipe 19 into the discharge'chamber 24. After whichthe set of the diaphragms and the head of water forcing in the valve 28will cause the valve face 31 to move up to its seat and reestablish thedirect connection between the port 14: and

hammers occurs the discharge of water will take efiect between each twosuccessive hammers and prevent the accumulation of enough water in thechamber 20 to operate the alarm. The operation of the valve therefore isnot dependent upon any varying differential filling of the chamber 20,nor does the opening of the valve 13 itselfcause the operation of thevalve 28, because ordinarily, after the pipe 19 is emptied, this valvewill be closed in the position shown in Fig. 2' by the set of thediaphragms or the pressure of water under the same, or both, and theposition of these parts does not change when the valve 13 opens.

Thus it will be seen that the receiving -chamber is connected with awaste port valve, which is closed at all times except during theemptying period so that no change in its position takes place upon theopening of the channel check valve and the entrance of water to thechamber, and, subsequently, to the alarm mechanism, and which opens onlyupon the reversal of the flow of water from passing up, to passing down,the pipe 19. As the waste port valve 28 is normally closed water cannotwaste through it while the receiving chamber is filling, except, ofcourse, the small amoun passing through the port 35.

As the normal position of the parts is such that the entrance of wateroperates the alarm without moving the parts, except the ball valve 34,it will be seen that they are not likely to get into a position in whichthey will be prevented from operating the alarm under the properconditions.

In the form shown in Fig. 4 a similar situation exists, but the deviceis shown in a difi'erent position and there is only one diaphragm 45forming the boundary of the pressure chamber 46. A waste port. valve48'is connected with the diaphragm 45 and it. engages a bushing 49opposite the open connection 19 in the chamber 50. The diaphragm ispreventedjrom operating too far, and the valve 48 is, guided, by 'askeleton frame-47;. An auxillary ball valve 51 is shown operatinghorizontally, but otherwise like'the valve 34. On the left side of thediaphragm is a waste chamber 52 communicating with the waste outlet 17.In this case the diaphragm need not have a permanent set as the waterentrapped below the central passage through the Waste port valve willhold the same normally closed. The operation of this form of the deviceneed not be described, in view of the fact that it is so similar to thatof the form shown in Fig. 2.

Although we have illustrated and described only two forms of theinvention, we

closed pipe for supplying water to the cas-.

ing on one side of the diaphragm, a waste outlet from the casing on theother side of said diaphragm, a valve in the casing held normally closedby the diaphragm for normally preventing the maximum discharge of wastewater from the first named side of the diaphragm in the easing into saidwaste out-.

let but movable with the diaphragm and having means for allowing thewater to flow freely from the first named side of the diaphragm in thecasing to the alarm device, an alarm device connectedwith the casing onthe other side of the diaphragm, from the first named side, and meanswhereby only when the pressure from the alarm device exceeds that on thefirst named side of the diaphragm, said valvewill be opened to allowwater to be discharged freely from the alarm device.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casinghaving three chambers therein, a diaphragm separating the first andsecond of saidkchambers, a valve movable with said diaphragm fornormally disconnecting the second chamber fromthe other two, said valvehaving a passage .for connecting the first and third chambers, an inletinto the first chamber, and an open connection from the third chamber toan alarm system.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of acasinghaving three chambers therein, a diaphragm separating the firstand second of said chambers, a valve movable with said diaphragm fordisconnecting the second chamber from the other two, said valve having apassage for connecting the first and third chambers, an inlet into thefirst chamber, an open connection from the third chamber to an alarmsystem, and an auxiliary valve in position to close said passage whenthe pressure in the third chamber exceeds the pressure in the firstchamber, whereby said auxiliary valve and mainvalve will be pushed backto permit the third chamber to discharge into the waste chamber.

4. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casinghaving three chambers therein, the first chamber having an inlet, adiaphragm separating the first and second of said chambers, a valvemovable with said diaphragm for disconnecting the second I chamber fromthe other two, said valve having a passage for connecting the first andthird chambers, and a connection from the third chamber to an alarmsystem, said valve normally closing said connection, and including meansin position to close said passage in the valve when the pressure in thethird chamber exceeds the pressure in the first chamber, whereby saidmeans and main valve will be pushed back to permit the third chamber todischarge into the second chamber. v

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casinghaving three chambers therein, the first chamber having an inlet, adiaphragm separating the first and second of said chambers, a valve moveable with said diaphragm for disconnecting the second chamber from theother two, said valve having a passage for connecting the first andthird chambers and a drain port,

and an open connection from the third chamber to an alarm system, saidvalve includlng an auxlhary ball valve in position to close said passagein the valve when the pressure in the third chamber exceeds the pressurein the first chamber, the diaphragm having a set in adirection to causethe valve normally to close.

6. In a device of the character described, the combination of atwopartcasing, a diaphragm, avalve supported by said diaphragm, saidvalve having a passage therethrough and a drain port, means foradmitting water into the casing at one side of said diaphragm, a wasteoutlet from the casing at the other side of said diaphragm, an openconnection from the casing to an alarm system, said diaphragm havingapermanent set whereby said valve closes communication between said openconnection and the waste outlet chamber except when there is excesspressure on the valve from.

longitudinal passage, means for admittingv water into the casing at oneside of said diaphragm, a waste outlet from the casing at the other sideof said diaphragm, an open connection from the casing to an alarmsystem, and means whereby said valve closes communication between saidopen connection and the waste outlet chamber except when there is excesspressure on the valve from the alarm system.

8. The combination with a valve casing, and a normally closed supplypipe therefor, said casing having three chambers therein, one forreceiving the water from said supply pipe, a waste outlet connected withthe second chamber, and an open connection to an alarm system connectedwith the third chamber, of a diaphragm separating the first and secondchambers, a valve in said casing normally closing the free connectionbetween the second and third chambers, but movable with said diaphragm,said diaphragm constituting means whereby when the water enters thefirst named chamber the valve will be held stationary in its normalclosed position, means for allowing the passage of water from the firstchamber to the third chamber, and means whereby when the pressure in thethird chamber exceeds that in the first chamber said valve will beopened only until the third chamber has discharged into the chamberwhich is connected to the waste pipe outlet.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination of a two-partcasing, a partition secured between the two parts of the casing andextending into the interior thereof, a diaphragm on each side of saidpartition, said diaphragms being movable toward and from the partition,a valve supported by said diaphragms, said valve having a passagetherethrough and a drain port, means for admitting water into the casingat one side of said diaphragms, a waste outlet from the asing at theother side of said diaphragms, an open connection from the using to analarm system, and means whereby said valve closes communication betweensaid open connection and the waste outlet chamber except when there isexcess pressure on the valve from said open connection.

10. In a device of the character described, the combination of a casing,a partition extending into the interior thereof and having groovesextending to the exterior of the casing for draining purposes, adiaphragm on each side of said partition, said diaphragms being movabletoward and from the partition, a valve supported by said diaphragms,said valve having a passage therethrough and a drain port, means foradmitting water into the casing at one side of said diaphragms. a wasteoutlet from the casing at the other side of said diaphragms, and an openconnection from the casing to an alarm system.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands. in the presence oftwo sub-- scribing witnesses.

GEORGE I. ROCKVVOOD. HJALMAR G. CARLSON. \Vitnesses:

G. Fonnnsr IVEssoN, CATHARINE I. HARTNETT.

